President Donald Trump attends Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8, 2026.
Saul Loeb AFP | getty images
President Donald Trump was loudly criticized at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Monday night before the start of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
The Garden erupted in applause when Trump was shown on a jumbotron in a suite just above the court with Knicks owner James Dolan during the playing of the national anthem.
The excitement turned to joy when the Jumbotron turned its attention to Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who was shown standing on the court.
Trump’s appearance at the game caused ticket-holding fans to wait two hours or more to enter the famous area of Midtown Manhattan after going through security.
The presidential motorcade passed signs reading “Nobody wants you here” and “Trump must go” as it headed through lower Manhattan toward FDR Drive and the Gardens.
Two other signs read “Impeach. Guilty. Remove.”
Trump was joined in the suite by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and his valet and former fellow criminal defendant Walt Nauta.
A native of Queens, who first gained fame as a ruthless Manhattan real estate developer, Trump is deeply unpopular in heavily Democratic New York City.
Of the approximately 666,600 votes cast in the 2024 presidential election in the city, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris won about 534,000 votes, while Trump got less than 114,000 votes.
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